Wheel carried applying and removing antiskid device



Oct. 21, 1952 s w, WHEELER 2,614,600

WHEEL CARRIED APPLYING AND REMOVING ANTISKID DEVICE Filed Sept. 14, 1950ZQ Q E 2 [13. 4 INVENTOR.

5/0/1 55) M WHEEL EE M f 4770/P/VEY Patented Oct. 21, 1952 2,614,600 l.WHEELCARRIED APPLYING AND nEMov i;

ING ANTISKID DEVICE 7;

Sidney W. Wheeler,.South Berlin, Mass, assignor of one-half to FlorenceH. Wheeler, South Berlin, Mass.

Application September 14, 1950, SerialNo. 184,852 -l relativelyuncomplicated mechanism including a pair of rods disposed in'radialrelation with respect' to the wheel to which the device is to beapplied, each of said rods supporting at the outer ends thereof atransverse or laterally projecting piece supporting an anti-skid chainelement thereon, in combination with spring means normally urgingsaiddevices to tightly engage the peripheryof the wheel or tread of thetire and ineluding cam means" operable from a remote position to holdsaid 'rods'in extended inoperative condition orselectively'to enable thesprings to accomplish their purpose of applying th anti skid devices tothe wheels or tire.

"{Other'objects and advantages of the'invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had drawingsin which l Fig. 1 is a plan view of thedevice, parts being broken away and partbeing in section;

. Figs 2 is a view in elevation illustrating the de vice of Fig. 1 on areduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of a vehicle wheel illustrating thedeviceapplied thereto, part being broken-away;

Fig. 4gis a view in elevation-illustratingithe remoteicontrol camactuating means;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating one of the cams; v

Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing an anti-skid device; and

Fig. 7 is a detail of a chain device securing means.

The present devic is adapted to be supported from the rear axle housingof a vehicle generally indicated at H], the rear axle beingconventionally illustrated at [2. Threaded into or otherwise secured inradial relation on the rear axle housing l2 are a plurality of pairs ofshort rods [4 which extend outwardly and at their outermost ends carryrotary ball bearings l5 which, as seen in Fig. 1, are, therefore,arranged in spaced pairs about the housing l0. Included between thesepairs of bearings is a ring I8 having a circumferential flange 20 ateach side thereof forming a pair of circular shoulders 22,

to the accompanying 5 Claims. (01.152-216) which construction" resultsin a circular track so that the ring i8 may rotate at high speedsupported and centered onthe'outer races of the ball bearings, theflanges 2!] preventing displacement of the ring [2 in any direction, aswill be clear.

Ring l8 radially slidably supports a pair of diametrically opposed rods24 extending nor mally beyond the periphery of the wheel or the tire andterminating incoil springs 25 which hold transversely extending ends26,the latter overlying-the tread of the tire and each of whichs'upportsthereon a chain element 28 which provides the anti-skid. means of thepresent case.

The inner ends of rods 24 terminate in blocks 30 preferably providedwith center indentations 32 for receiving the nose of an eccentric cam34 of which there are'two, one for eachblock; Each cam 34- is mountedatxthe end of a rotatable rod 36 extending in a direction to berotatably supported" in a housingsfi. Between the inner aspect of ringI8 and b1ocks'30, each rod carriesa compression spring il which normallytends to'draw the rods 24 radially inwardly to apply the projections 26tightly tothe periphery of the tire at diametrically opposite sidesthereof whereby the chains 28 are applied theretor In order to rotatethe cams to accomplish the function of moving the rods outwardlyradially to disengage the same from the tire; there is provided alinkage 42 controlled by a rod 44, which rod may extend to any positiondesired such as the front or drivers seat of a vehicle. At such point,the rod is controlledby a lever. or plunger or some similar device so asto swing the linkage to simultaneously rotate th cams as for instancefromthe'locked positionof Figs. 3 and 5 wherein the chain devices aredisengaged from the wheel, to the position of Fig. 2 wherein the rods 24have been brought inwardly to engage the anti-skid devices with the tireas above described.

It will be seen that when the chain devices are tightly applied to thetire as above described, the rods 24 being thus detachably securedthereto, cause the ring l8 to rotate, as supported on the bearings IS,with the rotation of the tire or wheel.- It is contemplated that thepresent device will be used only as an emergency measure, but, of

5 course, is extremely quickly and easily operated to either engage ordisengage the anti-skid devices whenever needed.

In the operation of the device, the rings l8 may or may not rotate on thbearings I 6 by reason of engagement therewith in the circular trackscaused by flanges 20. These bearings cenat rest, the cams 34 are bearingon elements 30 (see Fig. 5) and pressure being transmitted by means ofsprings 40 to the ring, keeps the ring stationary. When it is desired toapply the antiskid devices; .tlielrod44 is actuated to cause levers 42to swingcams 34'away from blocks 30 so that the springs 40 urge rods 24radially inwardly, thus applying anti-friction devices 26 to theperiphery of the tire. The antir-Iriction devices are thereby clampedthereto and obviously this will cause rods 24 to rotate with the wheelas Well as ring 18, until such time as: the rodi'44isi ac.-

tuated in the opposite direction 'toswing cams 34. back to the Fig. 5position, so that the blocks 30 are gradually stopped and held therebyin outwardly moved position to release the anti-friction devices 26 fromthe tire, whereupon the ring will stop due to cams 34 stopping blocks,30.

- This. invention providesa very simpleanti-skid applying means: whichmay be instantly applied whenever desired and just as". instantlydisengaged when the. need forthe emergency device is no longer present.The mechanism is so simple as to take up but little. space and it canfit behind the wheels of modern cars, as the cumbersomeandcomplicatedprior art devices cannot;

'I'he'springs25 impart sufficient give tov the device. to provide forgripping the tire by the ends 25 inspite of variations in the tiretreads, etc;

Having thus described my'invention and the advantagesthereof, I do notwishito be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as setforth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a support, radial elementsextending therefrom, antiefriction devices on. said radial elements, aring rotatably monntedxabout' said support on said anti-friction:devices, means to. center said ring: relative to' said support, rods.radially mounted and slidable in the ring, spring means toretractitherodsradially inwardly in the direction toward. the. support, cam meansto extend the rods-in the. opposite direction, means at the outer endsof said rodsifor grippingthe tread of the tireor'the like,anti-skiddevices on said last named means, and remote controlled meansfor rotating said cams;

2.-A' device of the class described comprising ansupport,azrin'girotatably mounted thereabout, means to normally prevent rotationof the ring, and means selectively engageable with a tire or. the. liketo cause the ring to rotate therewith, said second named meanscomprising a plurality of. radial arranged rods slidably'mounted on the'4 ring, transverse means at the outer ends thereof to engage the tire,an eccentric type cam at the inner end of each rod, means to turn thecams to force the rods radially outwardly, means normally retracting therods radially inwardly, and chain type anti-skid devices on each rod onsaid transverse: means 3. The device: of claim '2 including ballbearings rotatably supporting the ring in pairs, and

.' a-track on the ring engaging the ball bearings for guidedirotation ofthe ring thereon.

4. The device of claim 2 including a lever for each cam, a linkconnecting the levers, and a rod foroperating thelink to rotate the camssimultaneously'fromxa remote position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a housingfor a vehicleaxle, a series of spaced pairs of' radial studs thereon, a bearing oneach stud, a. ring rotatably supported by the bearings, a track on thering receiving the bearings for centering the. ringv on. the housing, .apair of dia metrically opposed slidably and radially mounted rods-on theringza block on each-rod at its inner end, a tire engaging portion attheouter end of each rod, anv eccentric for eachblock, the ec' centrics.being; stationarily pivoted in positionte engage theblocks tomovetherods. radially outwardly, springs to move the rods radiallyinwardly to apply the tire engaging. portionsto the-tire, and aremotecontrollinkagetooperate the occentrics simultaneously.

6. A device. of the class-described comprising a. support. a ringrotatably mounted thereabout, means to normally prevent rotationofthering. and means selectively engageable with atireor the like to causethe ring-to rotate therewith, said second named means-comprisingaplurality of radialarranged rods slidably mounted on'the ring,transversev meansat the outer ends thereof to engage the tire, aneccentric-type cam atthe inner end of each. rod, means. to turn the-camsto force-the rods radially outwardly, means normally retracting the rodsradially inwardly, chain type anti-skid devices on each rodionsaid-transverse means, and spring devices mounting the said. transversemeans on the rods.

SIDNEY WHEELER;

REFERENCES: CITED The following references are of recordinthe file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES l-"A'I'ENTS- Number Name Date 2,195,982 Daley Apr. 2,19402,195,983 Daley Apr.;2;194'0

